Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1887-03-05
A Romantic Story ofsau Eminent Dc.
ceased South CarolinIan.

a romantic story cOnnecteu Wlln
ethe3s late Col james Fl. Ron, Of
1Yinnsbor0ugll, sc wlIoStfied dem
December:last, is4now for the first
time made public. Itpossesses ad:
diJional interest in Richmond and
Virginia from the fact thatsls son,
Mr. Halbrool1 Rion, married Miss
Helen Berry, of Amherst county,
Va. Mrs. Rion is d daughter OF
Hon. Taylor Berry, one OF the most
polished, able, and popular sena-
tors in the present General Assem-
bly,.
. Col. Rion was an upright man,
an acnte counsellor, a profound
lawyer, faithful citizen, a superb
soldier and finished scholar. His
loss was deeply deplored. He was
all this, and if the story, which Is
now told for the first time, be true,
he was much more, for IN his veins
ran the blood Of tie Buurb0ns, and
the modest country lawyer was
noneother than the grandson of
Louis. XVI. aud Marie Autolnette,
King aud Queen of France. The
only position lie was ever induced
to hold was president of the South
Carolina Bar Association.
z. But the story. One of the most
distinguished South Carolina law
yerS, II few days since, related the
following to a reporter OF the
Charleston News aud Courier.
~"There has always been, as per-
haps you are aware, mystery sur
rounding Col. RIon's birth. He WAS
very familiar with John @. Calhoun
during his early life, who took a
great interest III his welfare aud
was very kind to him and his moth
er. They came from Canada to
Washington about the time when
Mr.. Calhoun was Secretary OF State
under President Tyler.
"JuSt before his death the Colo
mel made Il statement to his entire
family and DR.. Hanikan, and If
true he had in his veins the blood
Of the Bourbons. He was IN per.
fessRasSsssie efaIsa iis
ulties. His family desiring, it is
believed, to publish a full state
ment Of the facts, have kept all this
as quiet as possible. The substance
of Col. Rion's statement is that he
was the son OF the Dauphin of
France, who would have been King
Louis XVII, but for the revolution.
The Dauphin who was reported to.
have died at dn early age and to
have been an imbecile, had not
really died, but was sent to Canada,
and there had been reared under
the name of DE Rion. He entered
the English army and married Miss
Hunter. Col. Rion's father, de
Rion, died in Col. Rion's infancy,
aud the latter and his mother were
placed under the charge OF Mr..
Calhoun by the Austrian ambass-
dor at Washington, with 4 state
ment of the facts, and upon certain
conditions, one of which was that
Rion should never go to Europe un-
less in charge OF the Austrian an
thoritles and OIL an Austrian man :
of-war, and further, that he should
never accept civil Office in this
country. These conditions were
faithfully observed. The secret OF
his birth w;ls told three years ago
to Col. RIon's eldest daughter, who
went to Europe to fnd out what
she could about the Dauphin. Col.
Rion had in his possession very
valuable gold snuff box set with dia-
nlonds, on the top of which there
is Il monogram Of the Orleans fam
lily wrought in diamonds. The snuff
box was never exhibited to any of
the Colonel's family until he was
on his deathbed." - Richmond
State.